Page 12 - Demo

12 | February 2024
Slippery Rock Gazette
The Stone Detective
The Case of the Stubborn Haze
by that pesky haze. Time for some detective work. I whipped out my trusty knee pads (hey, those old knees have seen better days), and my knife to poke at the grout. Bingo! Epoxy grout. Next, I busted out some acetone, wiped down a tile, and poof! The haze vanished like it saw a ghost. You got it, folks, it was epoxy residue. Turns out, it’s a com- mon blunder with tile con- tractors who haven’t quite mastered the art of epoxy. Epoxy grouts? They’re as pickyasacatinaroom full of laser pointers. If you don’t clean ‘em up pronto, they’ll
leave you with a haze to remember.
So, I gave the school custodians the low- down on how to fix the mess, and they thanked me. My work here was done. But hold on, it just dawned on me that I hadn’t had a proper breakfast yet. Off to the greasy spoon for some ham and eggs. Another case cracked, another meal earned. The life of the Stone Detective is never dull!
The Stone Detective is a fictional character created by Dr. Frederick M. Hueston, PhD, written to entertain and educate. Dr. Fred has written over 33 books on stone and tile instal- lations, fabrication and restoration and also serves as an expert for many legal cases across the world. Send your comments to fhueston@ stoneforensics.com.
Sims-Lohman Announces Florida
Acquisition
SO, picture this: it’s a cold, ungodly hour in Florida, and my alarm clock has the nerve to screech at me at 5 am. Now, who in their right mind wants to be up at that ungodly hour, you may ask? Well, me, apparently. I’ve reached that age where I can’t resist the allure of the morning calm and, for some reason, I’m convinced I’m more productive before the sun properly wakes up. So, reluctantly, I dragged myself out of bed and embarked
on a quest to find a good cup of joe.
And where do you go for the best, soul-warming brew? The ole’ greasy spoon, of course! Flo’s coffee could warm the heart of even the iciest snow- man. Seriously, I don’t know what she sprinkles in those coffee grounds, but it’s pure magic. Maybe it’s the atmosphere, or maybe Flo’s just got some secret caffeine enchantment up her sleeve. Anyway, off I went, dreaming of that steaming mug of happiness.
Now, I’ve got this ancient car, and it’s as reluctant as I am to wake up early. No fancy automatic starter here. Nope, I had to brave the freezing morning air while my old Woody lumbered to life. Brrr!
As I shuffled into the diner, there he was, the old Admiral, perched in his usual spot, spinning tales like it’s his day job. This time, though, he’d switched up his usual Navy stories for a wild yarn about his haz- ing days during basic training. Mind you, this admiral was ancient, like “back-in- my-day-we-had-dinosaurs-as-pets” old. So, you can imagine the epic saga that unfolded over breakfast. Naturally, I was in my own world, tuning him out.
Just as I was lost in my thoughts, my phone chimed. At first, I thought it was yet
Dr. Frederick M. Hueston, PhD
another spam call, but lo and behold, it was Mr. Professional on the other end, yakking about a mysterious haze situation covering over 50,000 square feet of tile flooring. He wondered if I could swing by to take a gan- der. Lucky for him, I had a free day, so I said, “Sure, why not?”
I guzzled the last of my coffee, waved farewell to Flo, and hit the road.
When I arrived at the college, I was met by a whole entourage of folks, from the jan- itors to the college bigwigs. They paraded me into the lobby, and BAM! There it was, a porcelain floor with a cloudier haze than a clumsy magician’s disappearing act. They’d tried everything, from acids to alkaline cleaners, with no luck. But I had a hunch what was going on.
We did a victory lap around the entire college, and every square inch was plagued
C
inets, granite, and quartz countertops to building professionals, expands its oper- ating geography with the acquisition of Linn’s Prestige Kitchens and Baths and Kay’s Prestige Kitchens and Baths in the panhandle of Florida.
With this acquisition, Sims-Lohman now has 28 sales showrooms, six regional distribution centers and six state-of-the-art granite and quartz countertop manufactur- ing plants across eight states.
“I am so proud of the work our teams have done over the last 42 years for our clients all along the Gulf Coast. Now, we look forward to growing and evolv- ing even more as we merge with the great folks at Sims-Lohman. The future is going to be promising and full of sunshine!” said John Linn, President, Linn’s Prestige Kitchens and Baths, Kay’s Prestige Kitchens and Baths.
“We are thrilled to have the Linn’s and Kay’s team members and customers join our Sims-Lohman family. This acquisi- tion aligns with our growth strategy and allows us to expand our geographic reach to support our customer base.” said John Beiersdorfer, CEO, Sims-Lohman.
Sims-Lohman was the 58th largest pri- vate company in Cincinnati in 2022 with $234 million in sales and 525 team members.
The Sims-Lohman advantage includes a broad product selection, faster turnaround and a ‘one-stop’ solution for countertops and cabinets. Sims-Lohman fabricates more than 30,000 granite and quartz countertops while providing the cabinetry for more than 50,000 kitchens annually. For more information, visit www.sims- lohman.com .
incinnati, Ohio–based Sims- Lohman, one of the nation’s largest provider of kitchen cab-
“The bosom of America is open to receive not only the Opulent and respectable Stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all Nations and Religions; whom we shall welcome to a par- ticipation of all our rights and privileges, if by decency and propriety of conduct they appear to merit the enjoyment.” —George Washington
I think careful cooking is love, don’t you? The loveliest thing you can cook for someone who’s close to you is about as nice a valentine as you can give. — Julia Child